The Token of Adicio
by alae-megallen
Summary: The Token of Adicio: Maiden of the Sea, though merely a trinket to Captain Alae Megallen, holds the key to something far greater than she could ever imagine. And it takes a certain Captain to help her figure it out.
1. Sober is no fun

"Yo-ho, yo-ho, a pirate's life for me…" Alae Megallen slurred in a drunken sing-song manner then dissolved into chortles before clutching at the ship's rail to send her hammock swinging from side to side.

"Honestly, Megallen. I don't think I've ever seen you sober _once_." First mate Davidson said with a wry grin, leaning against the balcony, smoking a thick cigar.

"That's _Captain_ Megallen, Davidson. And don't you forget it." She insisted, leaning half way over her hammock to snatch Davidson's cigar before falling on her back upon the deck. She let out a groan and lay sprawled out beside her hammock, taking in puffs of the cigar as Davidson watched in amusement above her. He finally pulled her to her feet and yanked back his cigar before watched Alae stumble slightly and squint up into the night sky.

"Hmm… Sleep." She mumbled offhand and began awkwardly walking towards her cabin, tripping on the unsteady deck as she went.

"To bed with ya, Davidson! We have a lot of sea to cover in the morning." She ordered, without turning her head. And with that she disappeared from sight.


	2. Land Ahoy!

"Land Ahoy!" Someone shouted above deck, and though muffled, it sent Captain Megallen into a sleep deprived, hungover rush. She pulled on her black breeches and off white shirt before tugging on her weathered black boots over holey socks. Alae grabbed her royal blue, embroidered coat from the hook behind her door and came above deck, gingerly tying her crimson bandana around her forehead and hair. She squinted in the early morning sunlight and realised that dawn had only just proceeded them a couple of hours beforehand. Captain Megallen strode to the helm, jumping the steps two at a time before clutching the wheel between each of her palms.

"Hoist the sails, full speed a head! To Port Juvenaire!" Captain Megallen bellowed and her crew gave a mighty cheer before running across either side of the ship, busying themselves with preparing for land. The early morning air was crisp and the Captain breathed in deeply, feeling somewhat jolly about their harbouring at Port Juvenaire. Possibly because she was still relatively intoxicated. And that's when a sudden thought came to her.

"Davidson! To the helm, man. And bring the rum!" Alae ordered, continuing to clasp the wheel within her hands. Davidson joined her at the helm and passed her the rum. Captain Megallen smirked and pulled the cork from the bottle with her teeth, taking a swig. She handed the bottle back to Davidson who took a similar swig and again joined the men upon the deck.

Port Juvenaire was slowly coming in to view and the water seemed to calm somewhat closer to the bay and Megallen grimaced at the lack of sea spray greeting her face. As much as she enjoyed walking a greater distance than the length of her ship, Alae really disliked land. Especially when there were people involved. People always made trouble for the Captain and her crew but they always seemed to see it the other way around. Seeing as it was always the same two crew members who ended up drunk and causing riots between the locals and themselves. Captain Megallen and Mr. Trilby never planned on instigating difficulties when they came in to port. But enough rum and a crude remark about Alae not being able to hold her own, being a woman and all, and her mouth always got the better of her. Not to mention her fist. But she had promised Davidson and Mr. Trilby, who were becoming tiresome of her temper, that she would try her best not to cause any trouble unless she absolutely had to. Captain Megallen cracked her neck and shifted her feet before turning the ship slightly to bring The Mairess in to port. They moored just before ten o'clock and the Captain ordered the crew to set out for supplies, sharing out enough coin for several months worth of rum and enough food to feed the crew plus some extra in case of prisoners, stowaways and the like. And just in case they were really hungry. Which seemed to happen often enough.

After giving out her orders and forcing Tarlen to pull back and guard the ship, Captain Megallen headed into town to mosey and search for anything valuable that took her eye. She wasn't here to steal today, knowing she had enough gold to spare if she so happened to stumble upon something of her liking. As Alae wandered, still slightly tipsy, through the streets of Port Juvenaire she felt a sudden strange feeling wash over her. The feeling of being watched. And she didn't like it one bit. Captain Megallen slipped leisurely into a small alley and removed the bottle of rum she had hidden beneath her jacket, before departing the ship, and took a long swig before resecuring the cork and checking for danger. She saw nor heard anything unusual so she sidled out of the other end of the passageway, catching sight of a small stall tucked between two sandstone buildings. Alae cocked her head slightly and slid through the crowds of people, reaching the front of the stall, masking her curiosity and seeming stoned faced and uninterested. She gazed at the jewellery upon the table, brushing her hand across a few brightly coloured stones. She looked up and saw the owner, a man of Arabic decent, staring down at her hands. Megallen wondered whether he was worried about her stealing but when she looked back down at her hands, she realised the cuff of her right sleeve had slid upward, revealing the 'P' branded into the top of her wrist. Alae's hand automatically went to the pistol at her waist but the man raised his hands, as if pleading her to silence. She slowly removed her hand from the trigger of her gun and watched as the man placed a small box in front of the necklaces he had laid across his stand.

"I have something I think you may like." He finally spoke, his voice deeply accented and slightly hard to here over the voices of the people passing down the street. Megallen took the box gingerly and pulled back the lid, revealing a bright token of a maiden's face set in jade and silver. She lifted the token from its box and a black cord slid out, joined to one end of the coin. Alae suddenly shivered, still clasping it in her hand.

"How much?" She asked finally, her voice low but resolute. Just as she answered, she placed two gold coins upon the counter and waited for his approval. He smiled up at her and bowed his head slightly.

"Have a wonderful stay in Port Juvenaire, Madam." He ended and Alae tipped her head slightly then turned from the stand and strode back down the street she had come from and back towards The Mairess.


	3. Two drunks, two Captains

"Yo-ho, yo-ho, a pirate's like for… oof!" Alae stared up from the path toward the dock to see whom she had collided with, stumbling back in a drunken state. She grasped an almost empty rum bottle at her side and her eyes squinted to observe the man before her. Scrap that, definitely a pirate.

"Begging ye pardon, sir. But you seem to be in my way." Captain Megallen slurred, taking a last swig of rum before clutching the bottle to her chest with a stagger.

"Begging ye pardon, ma'am but I do believe you're drunk." The young man said, leaning in close to her face so she could smell the rum on his breath. Alae glared at his handsome face and tightened her grip on the empty bottle.

"So are you!" She retorted, somewhat annoyed at this stupid pirate whom had run into her and stopped her magnificent singing. Captain Megallen finally stopped squinting and looked up into his face, observing his kohl encased eyes and tanned face. His dreadlocks held beads and the like and a red bandana, like to Alae's, wrapped around the top of his head.

"What's ye name, lass?" The handsome pirate offered, squinting against the sun.

"What's yours?" Megallen answered back, eyeing him suspiciously. This mysterious pirate sighed in frustration and added, "I asked first." but upon seeing that the pretty thing in front of him wasn't going to budge in the slightest, he continued.

"Captain Jack Sparrow, at ye service." He said, with a pompous bow, stumbling slightly. Alae's mouth curved into a grin at his awkward gesture and also at the familiarity of his name.

"Ah." She said simply, her smile growing. Sparrow seemed perplexed and a tad frustrated again.

"Ah!? What in the devil is that suppose to mean?" He questioned her.

"Nothing." Captain Megallen added simply, trying to pass him. Jack stepped in front of her though and crossed his arms.

"Ah, ah, ah. You never told me _your_ name." Captain Sparrow raised his eyebrows at her and she glared back at him.

"Captain Alae Megallen of The Mairess." Alae answered him in a bland tone, finally succeeding in passing him.

"Captain, eh?" He called after her but she did not turn around.

"Bloody women." He muttered to himself before heading back to the Pearl.


	4. Discovery and Loss

Captain Alae Megallen pulled half of her wavy browny red hair back into a tie and resecured her bandana before staring at her reflection in the mirror perched above her nightstand. She shifted the collar of her shirt then tied the jade token about her neck before drawing rings of kohl around her eyes, making her look slightly more like a woman. Just slightly. Alae reached down and pulled on her boots and decided upon leaving her coat behind as the night didn't feel as cool as those previous to this. She took down a few gulps of rum, realising that most likely she had had too much to drink already but assured herself that she didn't really care. And with that, Captain Megallen stumbled from The Mairess, slurring what she thought to be words to Jameson, her brother, left fending the ship. The ship he had been sailing on since he was fifteen, with his older sister to guard him from danger and to take him upon his wildest adventures and to seek treasure. Alae smirked at this memory and wandered aimlessly into town. After sauntering through the streets singing random ballads of the sea, Alae stopped at a pub which seemed slightly familiar, though in her state she could have been seeing anything really. She shrugged nonetheless and entered to find the pub crowded and half her crew packed at a table in the corner, laughing and yelling and generally being boisterous. Alae grinned widely and went to the bar, ordering a mug of ale before leaning against the counter to steady herself. After finishing off her mug of ale, Captain Megallen addressed her crew and informed them she was retiring and would watch the ship and send Jameson out to catch up on his drinking. At that they cheered and said their farewell's before resuming their ridiculous stories of the sea. Alae chuckled at this as half of it was completely false and only to lure in the ladies. They had even attempted to lure herself at one stage, not realising she was a captain and needed a crew, not a lover. It had been entertaining nonetheless listening to their over the top stories of finding treasures and danger and defeating all peril in their paths. Captain Megallen withdrew from her thoughts just in time to see dark shapes scuttling across the deck of The Mairess, torches lit here and there and the sounds of fighting. Alae removed her cutlass from her belt and silently paced to the back of the ship, crouching up behind one of the robber's and slitting his throat before he could cry out. She let his body fall solidly to the ground, catching the attention of three men, one holding a knife at Jameson's throat. _He's too young to die_. Captain Megallen fought off two of whom she could only recognise as pirates from the dim flicker of the torches against their scarred, heartless faces. Her cutlass caught one in the gut and the other she sliced across the ribs, backing him against the railing before throwing him overboard. She turned just in time to see Jameson slump lifeless to the ship's deck, blood forming in a pool around his neck.

"No!" Alae cried out with everything she had, fighting her way passed another pirate, slashing his throat viscously. He let out a ragged breath and spurts of blood splashed back onto the Captain's face and shirt before he fell in a heap upon the deck. She turned to see another five pirates scrambling on to the ship to surround her and the man whom had killed Jameson wiped clean his knife and paced into the circle of his men.

"I will assume you are the Captain of this fine vessel." The pirate said with a grunt, eyeing her up and down, clearly surprised that she was a woman. Alae clenched her free fist and readied her cutlass, her eyes drawn to the gaunt body of Jameson, barely nineteen years of age and already she had got him killed. _Fool!_ _Her own flesh and blood, cut down before her._ The pirate noticed and a cruel smile curled the edges of his lips.

"He didn't even plead. It was such a pity to see him defend his Captain, let alone a _woman_." He spat and Megallen took a step forward, instantly feeling the cool metal of a cutlass at her throat.

"Tut tut, poppet." Her captor teased, pressing the knife harder against her flesh.

"What sort of bargain are you hoping to strike?" Alae growled, raising her chin slightly, feeling the trickle of blood running down her neck. The pirate captain chuckled, keeping his hands securely behind his back whilst walking within inches of her face before whispering, "I believe you have something we want. And I deem you to be the key." Captain Megallen glanced up into his face, perplexed. _What in the devil was he on about?_ But then she felt his hand rip something from around her neck and she watched as he let the silver token hang from its black cord in front of her face.

"I know nothing of this token nor its worth. I merely bought it from a merchant in the heart of Port Juvenaire. It is nothing but a trinket." Alae tried to explain but he would hear nothing of it.

"This _trinket_ you speak of sits upon the heart of only one woman. And that woman will break the world. Reign chaos upon the seas and suck the life from those pure of heart. To anyone else whom wears it, their life force is blotted out and they die. But you still seem to be as strong as ever, my dear." He touched her cheek and she moved away from him slightly then turned and spat in his face.

"You are a fool! No man can control such a force. You will go down with the rest of them! I am no Goddess of the sea. I am Captain of The Mairess and nothing more!" She shot back and he hit her hard across the face. Captain Megallen's cheek stung and black dots danced in front of her eyes. She squeezed her eyes shut and forced herself to focus before swinging the blade of her captor's cut lass from her neck and into his heart, leaping for the railing of the ship. She hit it hard and her ribs cracked and she felt all the air being pushed out of her lungs. Alae hit the water hard, fighting the urge to breath in or close her eyes. She swam beneath The Mairess and one other ship before finding the ship further down the harbour and draped in the most shadow. She clasped a hand across her mouth to stop from coughing and climbed an unfamiliar rope ladder to the deck of a black ship. There she clutched at her aching ribs and huddled in the corner of the ship for a few moments, catching her breath and keeping out of sight. The ship seemed lifeless, for now, but Alae wasn't about to be caught again. After wiping blood from her mouth and face again, she struggled to her feet and turned towards the front of the ship and found her self face to face with Captain Jack Sparrow once more. The chill of the midnight water grated at her bones and she tried not to shiver, not to seem weak. The blood on her face and neck said otherwise. Captain Megallen tried to stand up straight and she groaned as she did so, feeling her broken ribs sagging against her flesh.

"Who are you running from, love?" He asked her, cocking his head.

"No one." Alae answered simply, squeezing her eyes shut momentarily to block out the dizziness that was consuming her head. She went to pass him but he stepped back in front of her.

"Move aside, _Sparrow_." She spat, in no mood for his trickery. Jack's brows furrowed as he saw the glassiness of her eyes.

"What happened, Alae?" He queried, taking a step towards her. Alae stepped backward and shook her head.

"Nothing. Now let me pass." She stated coolly but Jack grasped her shoulders firmly. Captain Megallen glared up into his face, daring him to mess with her. She let out ragged breaths and her eyes shimmered in the moonlight. She focused on the deck and steadied her breath.

"Alae…" Jack lifted her chin so his eyes met hers. They were sparkling with unshed tears.

"What did ye see?" He questioned in a worried tone. Alae let a tear slip from her eye and shook her head.

"I need to get back to the ship." She mumbled under her breath, resecuring her cutlass before heading towards the docks. Little did she know that Captain Jack Sparrow still trailed behind her.


	5. Sore Ribs and a Serious Captain

Captain Alae Megallen of The Mairess stepped reluctantly back aboard her ship, her cutlass at the ready and her eyes tracing across the empty deck. Moonlight streamed through thick storm clouds, reflecting in Jameson's glassy, dead eyes as he lay upon his side on the ship's deck. Alae did not move for some time, knowing of Jack's presence before he ever said a word.

"This is not your war to fight." She whispered, almost sounding defeated as she did so.

"Mutiny between pirates always has been me war, lass." Captain Sparrow answered, for the first time not out of pure sarcasm but merely to state the truth. Alae did not reply but crouched beside her brother and gently set his lids closed, stroking the side of his face. She removed the gold chain from his neck and slipped it over her head easily before moving to stand. Captain Megallen clutched at her ribs as she stood, taking in a short breath and hunching over slightly. She ignored the pain in her side and scrubbed her eyes wearily.

"This mutiny could be the last." Alae explained in a cold voice, turning to face Captain Sparrow.

"Ye think so?" He questioned but she only shook her head and paced back toward the ramp leading from the ship.

"I haven't the time to explain, Jack. I have a crew to inform."


	6. The Dream and the Voice

Captain Megallen wasn't sure how it had happened. First she had been sailing the seas upon The Mairess, forcing her crew to work their hardest to leave Port Juvenaire behind and then she had fallen into a deep dreaming. Fatigue cramping her body from not sleeping since their last night in the Port and her side still aching from her broken ribs. And she had dreamt, though it seemed to her a vision. It was as vivid as life itself. And a dark woman had spoken to her of the significance of her token. The Token of Adicio, Maiden of the Sea. And she spoke much of its tie to human form and of the rumours spreading fast. She told her she was no longer safe guarding and captaining The Mairess, that she would have to give her commands to someone else. She would have to remain unseen and cunning to continue to outrun those whom chased her. She had woken, not sure what to think. And now she stood upon the upper deck of The Black Pearl, a chill night breeze hitting her in the face. Alae closed her eyes, feeling the cool sea spray against her cheeks and sighed, savouring that one moment of peace. Savouring the flavour of rum on her tongue and the smell of the sea. She took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly before turning her eyes to the stars and full moon above her. She thought about Jameson as she often did since his passing. Alae would never forget how her own recklessness had got him killed. _And for what? A trinket of the sea? It was never meant to end like that_. She was the one whom was suppose to take care of him, ever since her father passed away. He had always told her to watch out for him but in the end his future was a path she could not decide. _But he was never meant to die this way_. Alae fingered the gold chain around her neck and squeezed the pirate token in her hand, feeling tears rising to her eyes.

"He was my responsibility." Alae whispered in defeat, supporting herself against the rail of the back of the ship.

"_You failed him."_ A cold voice whispered, flowing passed her with the sea air. Alae turned, startled, but saw or heard nothing else. She shook her head and let tears spill onto her cheeks.

"He wasn't meant to die this way." She whispered, closing her eyes.

"_Your recklessness took him from life… Your heart grows weak."_ There, the voice again, coming up from the sea. Alae gazed over the side of the ship, seeing nothing but high, crashing waves toppling around her. She lifted her feet over the railing and faced out to the sea, gazing at the waters.

"Who are you?" Alae called out as the light breeze blew into a ferocious gale.

"_I am the sea. I have come to claim thee!"_ The voice shrieked in her ears and when she looked up a tall wave thundered across the ship, sending her descending into the sea with a startled holler. She rose for breath but only found water being pulled into her lungs. Alae heard Jack's voice in the distance followed by a loud splash as another wave sucked her beneath the surface. The last thing she remembered was the white veil of a woman watching her as she slipped into shadow.

Alae opened her eyes, coughing up water before breathing in heavily. Her head throbbed against the deck of The Black Pearl and Captain Sparrow was kneeling over her as she crawled to her hands and knees.

"There's something out there." She spluttered, wiping water and wet hair from her face, trying to stand but her knees buckled and she fell back upon her stomach on the deck. Jack gently lifted her from the deck and took her into his cabin where he lay her upon a soft mattress.

"Sleep, love. I haven't seen ye sleep a wink since we left." Alae let her eyes flutter closed and she blacked out.


End file.
